Just been following this Not sure if anyone else follows Rugby League but fascinating last 8:
Australia v Samoa
New Zealand v Fiji
Tonga v Lebanon
England v Papua New Guinea
Tonga stunned NZ by winning their group match and pushing NZ into the same half as Australia in the knock outs. It would seem it is in England's gift to get to the final but PNG are a big ask and then Tonga as well. Love the "dual" hakas when both the Pacific Nations teams face off. Tonga v NZ was a real spectacle. Going to predict an Aussie v Tonga/PNG final
It has always been the case. But this is the first time the dominance of the Big 3 of Aus, NZ and GB has been truly challenged and by both Fiji (even though they have been semifinalists twice before) and now Tonga. Thankfully the event is growing to 16 countries next time, 14 countries and the format selected has made it hard to follow as an event structure, but there is enough strength now to support a 16 country event. Unfortunately, Australia has played the event outside (largely) of the real RL hotspot of NSW and Sydney , which has everything to do with the NRL and nothing to do with the good of the game, and as such the event hasnt really attracted the crowds in Australia as it did 4 years ago in GB.
Fiji is an amazing story. RL is second fiddle to RU, and in RU Fiji are amazing at sevens as evidenced by the last Olympics. Good story and deserve to push the Aussies in the semi.
England women just lost to the Cook Islands (though they still progress on points difference). These South Sea Islanders are getting better...
Hmm, interesting format.
England's other two matches were against Papua New Guinea ( thumped ) and Australia ( thumped by ) and the Cook Islands' other two games were against Australia ( thumped by ) and New Zealand ( thumped by ).
One win apiece, and England proceed on points difference over the Cook Islands. Err right.
Probably difficult with so few big teams to settle on a format but that one? I guess they felt that there would be too many thumping by Australia and New Zealand in particular if the teams all played each other, so then just have the 2 group games against the other two teams in your group to decide the semi finalists. And the non Australia / New Zealand matches effectively become quarter finals.
I assume England were trying although the format kind of always led it likely to be an effectively 'dead rubber,' however well the Cook Islands players played, with such uneven fixtures and head to head apparently immaterial.
Or is it just a kind of showcase with no one much bothered about fairness ?
Yeah, I can't think that the tie breaker was thought through. If you are going to have a format where different teams play different opposition (and I can see why you might when there are big differences in ability) then the first tie breaker has to be head to head.
Yes, I'm not always a great advocate for head to head counting first in tie breaks in otherwise fair competition where the loser in the head to head otherwise has an additional win and much better goals / points record. But this format, as you say, cried out for head to head to be the first tie breaker.
I understand they are moving to 16 teams for the next World Cup (in 2021? Presumably back in the UK?). So that will sort out the format problems.
Main issue overall is still lack of real depth, Australia crushed Fiji in the first semi, 52-6, albeit that wasnt as big a win as when they played Fiji in the 2008 World Cup in Australia. But realistically, only NZ and, on occasion, England can give Australia a real match.
I guess they felt that there would be too many thumping by Australia and New Zealand in particular if the teams all played each other, so then just have the 2 group games against the other two teams in your group to decide the semi finalists. And the non Australia / New Zealand matches effectively become quarter finals.
